The Hokuriku Shinkansen line extension between Kanazawa and Tsuruga opened on March 16. The Hokuriku Shinkansen lunch box was launched on March 16 to commemorate this event.
Five member companies of the Kanazawa Branch of the Japan Railway Sales Central Association have developed five types of Hokuriku Shinkansen boxed lunches that include Hokuriku shioumai, jointly developed with Sakiyo-ken, a well-known shioumai maker, while also making use of local ingredients. This time we will introduce “Ekiben Takano Hokuriku Shinkansen Bento” purchased at Kaga Onsen Station.
Hokuriku shioumai, the most distinctive feature of the Hokuriku Shinkansen lunchbox, is said to be Hokuriku’s original shioumai with the flavor of scallops as the base, Fukui salmon from Fukui Prefecture, white shrimp from Toyama Prefecture, and ishir (fish sauce) from Ishikawa Prefecture. Compared to the original shioumai, it has a stronger seafood flavor and a slightly lighter taste. It is more suitable as a side dish with rice than as an accompaniment to sake. The Hokuriku Shinkansen bento includes three pieces of this Hokuriku shiomai.
The side dishes surrounding the Hokuriku shiomai are colorful and varied, making it hard to decide which to start with.
There are the standard makunouchi bento side dishes such as grilled salted mackerel, deliciously simmered shrimp, and fried eggs, but what I personally particularly liked was the deep-fried gas shrimp. In Ishikawa Prefecture, it is said that it is a popular ingredient because it is sweeter than sweet shrimp, and when you try it, the sweetness spreads through your mouth along with the shrimp flavor, creating a taste that lingers in your mouth.
The yellowtail stewed slowly in a sweet and spicy sauce also has a very strong yellowtail flavor, making it the strongest side dish for rice. And the meat konjac, a standard side dish in ekiben Takano’s ekiben, is a perfect balance of beef and konnyaku (konnyaku is a type of beef cooked in a sukiyaki style).
The rice is also very special. Ekiben Takano Hokuriku Shinkansen bento features rice cooked in bai clam broth, a well-known ingredient in Ishikawa and other Hokuriku prefectures. The rice is cooked in the style of takikomi-style rice with the flavor and deliciousness of bai clams, giving it a light yet deep taste. The bai clam is served on top of the rice, and its crispy texture allows you to enjoy the taste of the bai clam more directly. You will feel that you can eat more and more without any side dishes.
In addition, a bowl of Temari Sushi with Shrimp and Nodoguro is also served. Nodoguro is well-known as a high quality fish in the Ishikawa region, and this Temari sushi is as good as it gets.
Hokuriku shiomai, which has a different flavor from the original, is also appealing, but overall, we felt that this ekiben uses ingredients from the Ishikawa region and allows you to enjoy each flavor straight from the source. If you travel to Ishikawa Prefecture on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, I highly recommend that you pick one up.
© Source travel watch